The present invention relates to plates used for eating, and particularly to a formed plate that balances food with a beverage container support.
Conventional apparatus such the Disposable Plate Having Improved Ergonomics disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,121,424, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, provide grooves adapted to accommodate fingers and/or thumbs. However, a significant shortcoming from such conventional devices is that a user must use both hands to hold both a plate and a beverage container, which prevents a user from eating with a utensil while holding both the plate and the beverage container. In addition, conventional apparatuses fail to allow the user to balance a food area of a plate with a beverage that is securely held on another, opposing area of the plate.
There is a long felt need for an apparatus that securely holds a plate, a beverage and utensils with one hand. The present invention provides such an apparatus and method.